I adored this book! Menard blew me away with this magic system. She managed to make it feel unique and refreshing without over explaining, which is very hard to do. I felt like I was thrown right into this magical world with those who bottle storm for money and others who whisper to whales. I’m a sucker for soft boys, found family, and slow burn, so this book was perfect for me. It was also just really…fun? I loved following the characters as they raced to try to complete these seemingly impossible tasks in a world meant to make those tasks more impossible. The pacing of the novel was great. It was steady enough to let me get to know the characters and quick enough to keep my adhd brain turning pages. The writing flowed so well, and the author excelled at making each POV feel very distinct. The characters were all a bit flawed and I loved that about them. Gen is a badass heroine, who is strong and passionate and determined, but gets in her own way once or twice because of it which made me love her more because she felt real. And I think one of my favorite parts about this book is that Menard truly made this Hercules retelling her own. Hercules is one of my favorite stories so I was thrilled to read this, but I loved, loved that Game of Strength and Storm could hold it’s own. I am so happy that I was able to read an eARC of this book pre-release and I can’t wait to have a physical copy on my shelf!! Please pick it up!

Reading this book was such a treat. It reminded me why I love fantasy so much. From the first page, we enter the author's world and it's just a fascinating place to be. The world building gets started right away and there isn't a huge world building thrown at us right away like in some fantasy. There is a good bit in its early pages but it comes in throughout the book so we aren't bombarded, which I appreciated. I liked Gen right away. I loved seeing all those parts of her character grow throughout the book. I liked her more and more as she grew more comfortable with her strength and confident as a competitor against Castor. I didn't like Castor at all, but she was a good, well developed character so I liked not liking her. Everything she did made sense and her motivations were clear. That said, these qualities made her a worthy adversary to Gen in this competition. The side characters: Pollux, Bale, and our wonderful animals were stunning additions to the story and great found family for Gen.

The plot was great! Very fast pacing and exciting action. There were a few aspects that I could've gone without (third act "betrayal" arc was meh and some of Castor's chapters felt a bit slower compared to the rest of the chapters). I also wanted more about the Empresses and their history and how they became these feared beings with so much control when this is a world where pretty much everyone has power of some kind. This was such a phenomenal fantasy. There are a lot of stories with Greek mythology inspiration, but this one still managed to be original and interesting.

I received a copy of the netgalleys of this book in exchange for my review. Game of Strength and Storm by Rachel Menard tells the story of Gen, a former circus performer trying to rescue her wrongfully imprisoned father and Castor sister to the heir apparent to Arcadia, a country who can control, manipulate, bottle, and sell storms! Both girls enter a contest where the Olympian Empresses grant wishes of ten people who win the lottery. However, as with all magic (and everything else) nothing is given for free. Gen has the magical ability to speak to animals and is the last of the Mazons (Amazonians) who draws strength from the Earth but mostly only in her ancestral homeland. The girls are pitted against each other to complete the tasks wished for by the other lottery winners in order to have their own wish granted. They must use their cunning, strength, and unique skills to master increasingly complex and worrying tasks, the last of which involves bringing the empresses the head of a Hydra. And if you know anything about ancient mythology, you know how problematic that ask is.

First, I absolutely adore modernized mythology/classic tales or myths told with new twists. So when I heard about Game of Strength and Storm, I was all about it. The start of this book is a little slow. I don’t really care that Gen’s new clothes are dirtier than she’d like but I do love the fact that she is traveling in the mouth of a Whale! Also, the ability to communicate with animals is a superpower I have always wanted so that hooked me fast even though I don’t know what it’s like to have a parent in prison, let alone wrongly imprisoned. I do know what it is to feel like you don’t belong. To think everyone hates you, is staring at you everywhere you go, whispering about you.

I instantly connected with Gen because of those things. Castor, not so much. But soon there was Pollux who abides by the tragically misunderstood artist tope, something I also love. Watching these teens fighting for their own autonomy, battling mythical monsters, making deals with unsavory characters, and taking on Sisyphean challenges like cleaning up a never-ending pile of horse poop was fantastic. I loved just about every minute of it even if the fight scenes were a bit too long and took place slightly more often than I would have liked.

As much as I personally did not want to be friends with (or on the wrong side of) Castor, I thought she was a wonderfully written character who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty but who is not merely strong because she can fight good. She will do whatever it takes to get what she wants, even if it means hurting the people she loves. Gen is, surprisingly the same way she just goes about it differently. Where Castor will strike physical blows to her own family, Gen cuts herself off from the world, refusing to accept help, love, or friendship from anyone. Please read this book. The cliffhanger ending makes me want very much to read the sequel but we won’t get that if people aren’t buying and talking about this book. 4.5 stars out of 5.

Why do I do this to myself???

And by 'this' I mean start books without knowing if it's a series and then going NOOOOO I NEED BOOK 2 RIGHT NOW.

I love sapphics and soft boys. I love retellings and evil queens. The magic was *muah* and the twists kept me guessing. Was there anything I didn't love about this book? Probably the urge to race until the very end because I just HAD to know what happened. Wait that doesn't count. I loved this book. And of course I need to mention the cover because it's just beautiful.

Thanks Netgalley for letting me read this ARC!

Disclaimer: A massive thanks to Flux, North Star Editions and NetGalley for allowing me to read Game of Strength and Storm by Rachel Menard in exchange for an unbiased review.
I was hooked from the first line.
No, I’m not being hyperbolic – I was genuinely hooked by the first line.
“Gen had grown accustomed to wearing soggy boots” is possibly my favourite opening line to a book (aside from the opening line to Joe Hill’s Horns). I can’t really explain why it was so fascinating and so enticing, but it gripped me immediately.
My notes literally read: Why is she accustomed to soggy boots? What does she do that require soggy boots? Can’t she get waterproof boots?
But then we learn that she has soggy boots because she rides inside a whale – not on, inside – and that her clothes are constantly covered in fish guts because of her preferred mode of transportation.
And that is not even the best part!
Gen can control creatures (and people, if she so pleased) through putting parts of herself on or in them. By feeding her hair or spit or blood, she forms a connection with other living things and can control and influence them to do their bidding – and I have to say, this kind of magic is impressive, and it’s impressive to see in a book. Unlike most compulsion magics we see, this was refreshing, and I applaud Menard’s mind.
Then we have the other main character – Castor – a lightning wielding Lady who wishes to inherit the “throne” from her father, rather than see it go to her brother, as is custom.
These two leading ladies enter into a lottery, within which they are pitted against each other in order to earn what they should have simply been given, according to the conventions of the lottery. They must complete a total of 10 tasks (or labours, if you’re familiar with the mythology of Heracles, and you do see many nods towards such mythology) between them in order to have their wishes fulfilled by the Empresses of Olympia.
They must fight against each other to be the first to complete the most of the 10 tasks to win, and the loser does not get their wish granted.
Of course, it’s not quite that simple, and emotions and duties get in the way, which is always a 10/10 in my book.
This book is just simply divine, and the twists that Menard puts on common myths is beyond refreshing, and serves only to prove how far the imagination can go.
I would recommend this book for fans of Percy Jackson and The Hunger Games.
I cannot wait to see this book on shelves.

A Brilliant Captivating New Novel.

This book brought me back to middle school reading, but the good stuff, right along with the greats such as Percy Jackson. The writing was easy to read but compelling, very enjoyable, flowed wonderfully. The only thing I would change is an addition of a world map (I love maps)

The characters were really fun to read about and the use of multiple perspectives made it that much better! I loved learning about how they all felt and what they were thinking. Gen was very loveable, I just want her to be happy with her dad again. These characters and the animals just slither their way into your heart.

Plot wise it was nicely paced, a good amount for each challenge and time to get around. The twist were fun, a bit predictable but that didn’t make it not enjoyable.

(Slight Spoilers) if I am being honest I picked this up half for the cover because I thought Gen and Cas would get together, I held onto that hope for maybe 50% before I knew it wouldn’t happen (plus Gen deserves someone more compatable) but I’m really really happy that Cas is queer, and it isn’t even made isn’t a big deal, it just is.

It was a nice easy read and I’m so glad it was on the longer side. I give much love to Rachel for this book.

I was provided a free advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book started a bit slow for my taste but by the middle I couldn't put it down. There were elements of fantasy, magic, character development, quests, romance, and conflict. This book is perfect for the YA audience.

Gen was an interesting character and her quest to release her father from prison was wholesome. You can tell that her entire being is based on obtaining his freedom any way she can. Gen showed great development throughout the story. I was able to connect with her through her love for animals and for family. I felt sad for her during some of the more difficult scenes in the story, especially with the whale and the horses.

Pollux grew on me. It took me a bit to trust him just like it took Gen but by the end I was rooting for him and Gen. It was interesting to read about the relationship between him and his sister.
Castor's story was sad as well. She wanted to be noticed and have a chance to rule without having to marry into power. I understood her conflict and felt sorry for her at times but ultimately I did not like her. She was the type of character that would do anything to gain power and control, including hurting the people closest to her.

I enjoyed reading the book. Do not forget to read the epilogue!!! It is crucial to the story. All in all I enjoyed this book. The story was creative and intriguing. The characters were dynamic and relatable.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the arc. I was intrigued by the beautiful artwork on the cover as well as the description but my expectations were low since I'm not really into Greek mythology. Turned out, the story gripped me since the beginning. Even though, most of the second half of the book had me feeling 3 stars but the ending changed my mind. It's a solid 4.5 for me.

The writing style was promising with a good pacing. The characters were 'whale' written (iykyk) but the romance bit felt a bit forced and lukewarm to me, (it might've been because I didn't care much about Lux for the first half). Though Castor's bit were more interesting to read about. Given chance, I'd certainly pick up the second series to learn more about the past and all the secrets of that empire and of course my lovely Castor who has done only one thing wrong that pierced my heart as well as Bale, The empresses and my baby Gen.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it difficult to put down at times. I love the two main characters who have strong motivations in very different ways and they still manage to be relatable in their intents and decisions. I was hard-pressed to say who I really wanted to win because I wavered several times as the decision grew more complicated. The inclusion of several animal companions was a lovely addition, as well as a lovely enemies-to-lovers trope in a way other than the one that might be expected. I am a sucker for that stuff. There's strong character development on one of the main character's parts in two ways, one of which kind of folds back on itself at the end, but it helps to push through to an eventual sequel, so I'm more than okay with it. And she develops in plenty of other ways, so again, no complaints here. I think the author did a great job developing her world and incorporating elements of greek mythology, which was a pleasant surprise after reading Percy Jackson for the first time.

This book had me gripped from the start, I couldn’t put it down and I just had to keep reading and find out more.
I love everything about this book, from the multiple povs to how throughout the story you start to understand the main characters more and their decisions to reach their end goal.
One of my favorite books this year, I can’t wait until it’s out and able to be bought.

If you like a Greek Mythology re-telling, with a bit of girl power then this is defiently the book for you. I was hooked straight away and could not put the book down, well until work intervened.
There is no Theseus, Hercules or Percy Jackson to be seen. Just Gen and Cas two different but likeable female protagonists. Although Gen is the perfect heroine for me.
I can't wait for book 2 to be written.

Thanks Netgalley and Publisher for the opportunity to read and review.
Quite intriguing fantasy novel inspired by Greek mythology and more accurately - the Olympic games.
The main characters are compelling, diverse and very relatable in their main motivations to take on the labors set by the Olympian empresses. You understand them, root for them and also judge them for the bad decisions they take. And the epilogue offered the needed conflict that will allow readers to meet these characters again in the second installment. A lot of creatures from greek mythology are incorporated into the story.
It's not to say I don't particularly like Greek mythology, but kinda wished it wasn't the main inspiration behind so many fantasy YA novels. Anyway....it still worked for this story. Will see what next novel will offer. It's unsettling to see how all of Gen's efforts and achievements didn't fullfil her main desire, but I'm curious to see where her next adventure will take her and what is the reason behind it.
Looking forward to book two.

I really enjoyed this book because it was full of action and suspense! The main characters were unique and interesting as was the plot. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend readers try it.